Matt Lockwood
Former Leyton Orient defender on BBC Radio London

It's scrappy. No-one is dominating any facet of the game and only the one effort on goal. But maybe you can put that down to conditions.

Fair to say these temperatures are a rude awakening for QPR's new Spanish boss Marti Cifuentes.

Although he has coached in Scandinavia to be fair. Maybe he's developed a tolerance, although his apparel tonight suggests otherwise.

Image source, Getty Images

And we are going to need a shirt change for Andrew Hughes, with the blood dripping onto the fresh white Preston shirt.

Matt Lockwood
Former Leyton Orient defender on BBC Radio London

That was unintentional. He did catch him in the face but there was no malice in that. He's just stretched his arm out.

Lydon Dykes is the first to go into the book.

Referee Josh Smith doesn't hesitate when he takes out the yellow card after Dykes catches Andrew Hughes with his elbow.

Hughes is now nursing a bloodied nose.

QPR goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has had plenty to do so far.

This time he reads Preston's intentions perfectly, and plucks a long ball out of the air before Duane Holmes can reach it.

It feels like the past five or six minutes has been all Preston.

They work their latest attack patiently and almost unpick QPR's defence with a neat ball from Duane Holmes for Ched Evans in the area.

Preston play a quick free-kick near the halfway line and QPR defender Jake Clarke-Salter scrambles to clear the danger for a corner.

The floated ball in from the left is well dealt with by the visitors this time.

We have the game's first corner, and QPR have a few bites at trying to clear the danger.

Eventually the ball falls for Ched Evans, who drills a shot on target.

It's an easy one for Asmir Begovic to get down to, but he does fumble his initial attempt to claim the shot.

Jake Clarke-Salter goes sliding into Ched Evans, and Preston have themselves a dangerous free-kick.

It's floated in and well defended before the follow up ball back into the box is plucked from the air by Rangers keeper Asmir Begovic.

Preston have looked the more positive going forward, but a few offside calls is all they have managed for their efforts.

Boss Ryan Lowe looks on, nicely wrapped up in a big warm coat. Can't blame him.

Image source, PA Media

After nine uneventful minutes, I might just point out that the pitch markings at Deepdale are blue tonight.

And I tell you what, you need the colour contrast with the frost around the centre circle and penalty areas.

Freezing it might be, but the crowd at Deepdale are doing their best to warm the atmosphere up early on.

The game is yet to really come alive, but the same can't be said for the support.

Preston are happy to spray the ball around at the back, then spring forward through Andrew Hughes.

His initial cross is well defended, with another cross then well dealt with by Asmir Begovic.

Preston’s run of six defeats in 10 games – a sequence that includes just two wins – is pretty grizzly by their high standards earlier this season.

A cold Friday night against a somewhat rejuvenated QPR under Marti Cifuentes has hard work written all over it.

QPR get the game up and running.

Both sides have walked out onto what looks like a very frosty Deepdale pitch.

Kick-off is just a few minutes away.

Image source, Getty Images

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes says he draws on basketball, handball and hockey to help him improve as a football manager.

Cifuentes, 41, replaced Gareth Ainsworth on 30 October after six straight Championship defeats for QPR.

The former Hammarby boss has taken five points from his first four games.

"I really like the NBA, there are fantastic coaches and players in that league. I like to listen to people from everywhere," Cifuentes said.

You can read more of Kevin Hand's piece about Spaniard Cifuentes by clicking here.

Calvin Ramsay comes in to make his first start for Preston and is among four changes from their defeat by Middlesbrough earlier in the week.

Brad Potts is suspended for this one, while Milutin Osmajic has been left out after being forced off at half-time against Boro.

Preston North End: Woodman, Storey, Lindsay, Hughes, Ramsay, Whiteman, Browne, Frokjaer-Jensen, Keane, Holmes, Evans.

Substitutes: Cunningham, Brady, McCann, Stewart, Ledson, Woodburn, Cornell, Millar, Best.

Meanwhile, QPR boss Marti Cifuentes makes four changes from the midweek win against Stoke.

Andre Dozzell has overcome a knock and starts, with Chris Willock also included from the start after scoring in Tuesday's victory.

Cifuentes's decision to shuffle things around sees Ilias Chair drop to the bench.

Queens Park Rangers: Begovic, Cannon, Clarke-Salter, Dunne, Paal, Colback, Field, Willock, Smyth, Dykes, Dozzell.

Substitutes: Kakay, S Cook, Chair, Archer, Dixon-Bonner, Larkeche, Kelman, Duke-McKenna, Drewe.

Can QPR do what they have failed to do all season, and win back-to-back games?

Surely, the victory they earned against Stoke on Tuesday will be the sort of thing that gives any downtrodden Rangers fan hope... right?

The four goals QPR put past Stoke was as many as they had managed in their previous 10 games.

It also ended a 12-game winless run, so there are certainly things not to be miserable about.